Fun with Contraband!

By alyssamartino on Wed, Jul 2, 2008 11:27 am

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A sparkler set fire to a blanket, searing a baby basket. A fountain firework shot up into someone's eyes. Two salute fireworks severely injured a child and adult, necessitating amputations.

These simulated catastrophes (real fireworks injuring plastic people) demonstrating the dangers of fireworks were hosted by the State Fire Marshall and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) last Thursdaymorning at Houghton’s Pond in Milton.

The possession of fireworks without a license is illegal in Massachusetts (punishable by fines of up to $1,000 or one year in prison), and the event also displayed an assortment of illegal consumer fireworks. Some—like "Double Trouble,” with its 36 artillery shells—exude disaster. Others are tailored to seem harmless, with names like “Morning Glory,” “America’s Celebration,” and “Sun Flower,” adorned with yin yangs.

Capt. Barbara Stone, former president of the Fire Prevention Association of Massachusetts, says some fireworks are marketed for children. “Kids are drawn to bright and colorful things,” she says.

State Fire Marshall Stephen Coan warns that civilians should “leave the fireworks to the pros,” and no matter “how pretty or patriotic” they are.

NFPA President Jim Shannon agrees, explaining that as one of six states in which all consumer fireworks are illegal, Massachusetts officials are often considered “alarmists” or “unpatriotic.”

“It is not unpatriotic to want to keep our neighbors and our community safe,” Shannon urges. “It is real people who remind us why our message is so important.”

Each year, over 12,000 fireworks-related injuries occurnationally. These incidents are most common in children ages 10-14.

Stone feels that adults must set a good example for their children in order to avoid these traumas. “People say, ‘Everybody does it. They’re really pretty. It’s not gonna happen to me.' But the truth is, it’s an unregulated industry,” adds Stone.

There hasn't been much noise about legalizing fireworks lately, perhaps because illegal fireworks can be easily obtained at stores on the New Hampshire border, or through mail order. Stone explains that since it'simpossible to regulate, raising awareness is their only hope to limit firework-related injuries as the Fourth approaches.

Jennifer Mieth, from the Department of Fire Services, sees the necessary attitude shift as a sign of changing times. “A lot of us remember having sparklers as kids," she says. "But we also remember riding incars without seatbelts.”